Mosley Admits He Got This Fight Because His Last Two Weren't Stellar Outings

“Sugar” Shane Mosley is pretty much the forgotten man in this media circus. After all, this is the Manny Pacquiao Hour, a one-man act that doesn’t have room for a sidekick. Mosley is just a little trimming, extra frosting, a guy left out in the cold peering through a greasy window at the celebration he never got invited to. It almost feels like he’s an afterthought in this fight, someone who was needed to fill an empty chair when they started snapping photos for the history books.

On a recent conference call promoting their May 7 WBO welterweight title fight at a sold-out MGM Grand in Las Vegas (Showtime PPV), Mosley sounded like someone in a funeral parlor talking about the deceased. It wasn’t what he said, it was how he said it. Quiet, soft-spoken, polite and deliberate, you kept wondering if he just woke up from a long nap.

Naw, it was just Mosley being Mosley.

Asked if being the underdog provided a little extra motivation for him in the fight, Mosley said he doesn’t read too much into it.

“I don’t care if people are seeing me as an underdog or not,“ he said. “What matters is what happens in the ring. The only thing that matters is May 7.”

While Mosley didn’t provide any deep insight into the fight and how he planned to win it, his faithful trainer, Naazim Richardson, didn’t hold much back. When Mosley’s age was brought up, Richardson sounded like he already had the answers written down somewhere.

“Most of you saw the Erik Morales fight,“ Richardson said, referring to the recent, fight between the 34-year-old Morales and the 27-year-old Marcos Maidana, won by Maidana on a majority decision. “And most of you saw the (Jean) Pascal-Bernard Hopkins (who is 46) fight. And we keep counting these guys out. These aren’t just old men who box. These are legendary fighters who have age on them now. There‘s a difference between a legendary fighter who has age and an old boxer. When these guys were in their prime, they were exceptional. Michael Jordan could probably still come out now and make the starting five on any team in the NBA. We discount these older guys but we forget they were special. When special gets old, you can still be extraordinary.“

But you can’t get back your prime, and Mosley is a few years passed his.

Still, he’s a big name and that‘s why Top Rank booked him. He’s never been stopped, and he still has some pop left in both hands.

“If Shane hits you solid, you’re going on the defensive,” Richardson said. “I don‘t care how much of a gladiator or how tough you were before. When Shane tags you, you’ll be a defensive fighter. No one has ever asked for their money back after watching a Shane Mosley fight.”

Bob Arum got right to the point on Mosley, saying the reason they picked him to fight Pacquiao is “because we’re in the entertainment business and we know that Manny Pacquiao against Shane Mosley will be one hellacious and entertaining fight.”

“Shane is an all-action fighter and when he’s in with a guy who is an all-action fighter as well, you’re going to see fireworks.“

But he is 39.

And then you look back at his last two fights - a decision loss to Floyd Mayweather a year ago and a draw to Sergio Mora in September - and say he’s on the downside. But Mosley has a different way of looking at it.

“I don’t think those fights have anything to do with what I do against Pacquiao, because styles make fights,“ said Mosley, who did some chasing against Mora and Mayweather. “But if it wasn’t for those two fights, I probably wouldn‘t be here today. So those fights were needed.”

This guy always thinks the glass is half full.

But so does Richardson, who said they have a comfortable game plan that Mosley has bought into.

“We look forward to this contest and to solving the Rubik’s Cube of boxing, which is Manny Pacquiao,” he said.

Tough puzzle to crack.

Radam G says:

Maybe Sugar Shane was playing possum again Sergio Mora. But it doesn't matter. Da Manny is going to destroy Sugar Shane. But the Sugarman will have some fat pockets. I guess that sometimes it pays well to get an arse thrashing. Holla!

Radam G says:

Wow! Let me school ya, I won't try to fool ya! Again, I'm be fly ta ya, before I lie ta ya. All da Pac-haters, faders, busters, fakers and lack-of-money makers are trash takin!' But in dat squared jungle, Sugar Shane is gonna be bearly walkin.' Dude is boxing OLD -- a gaffer. The Sugarman will be as weak as a starving heifer. He's like Erik Morales and/or B-Hop! NOT! Their boxing funk, Sugar Shane ain't got. They became aged, and went up in weight, not down. Sugar Shane's face is so sucked in that he cannot smile or frown. Da sucka's whole face looks like a botox toxic basket case. Da Manny's punches, da Sugarman is still gonna taste. Da Manny is going to nullify Sugar Shane's every effort. In dat squared jungle, Da Manny is a monster of a different sort.

Da ole, wise Genie Naazim, SSM's dad, Pops Sugar Jack, and even SSM's son, Spicy Shane, have been mouthing off and spittin' plenty of smack. But none of this hope gummin' will halt the rapido, blitzo, stormin' Pac-attack. I hear all da yakkin' and chitta chattin' about how wonderful da Sugarman is lookin' in camp. I cannot also dress up a tramp. Hehehehehe! OMG! What da double fudge! My 108-year-old Uncle Mamoy and my four-year-old son Denzoy look like they can whupped my thirty-something-year-old arse in the gym. But in dat squared jungle da fudgin' beast snatches da luv outta me, and ya be my prey, so is da case of Da Manny.

In dat squared jungle, it is a whole different atmosphere. Things are not as they appear. Because, in the words of Uncle Roger May, "Most people don't kno' s*** 'bout boksin!'" In a LIVE bout, a pugilist has to deal with the hot lights, the stench of the at-close-quarter crowd, the shouting and cussing at him -- maybe by his corner, the crowd, the referee and various other variables. Those who are not in da know and have not ever been in the game do not have a clue. A boxer can and is affected by so many things during an actual bout. [This is why good camp/gym performance doesn't always transfer over to the actual event.] Let me just holla!

Now stench in the air coming from pants-wetting drunks, loose-bowel smellies, flatulently groupies, sometimes a sweatly referee with bad odor and sometimes smelly chemicals coming from opponent's skin, hair and/or trunks -- put on them by a slick corner -- can fudge up everything that a boxer did in camp, because those new, in-ring, nasty-arse smells will be all up in your head. [Money May has spoken about how Gerry Curls chemical in Sugar Shane's hair was affecting the money lover's game in the beginning of the bout. Of course "Lil' Floyd" adjusted and thrashed da Sugarman's hinny.] I'm reminded of how Mitch "Blood" Greene's GCC chemicals use to mess up some opponents' eyeballs back in da day. Kevin Rooney had to holla at da powers dat be to disallow Blood from dousing his bush with dat jive before entering the squared jungle with "Iron" Mike Tyson.

All this jive can be going in the ring, while screamin' bimbos will be driving you and your corner insane by badmouthing you guys. This jive can get seriously into your head BIG TIME. There have been situations where cornermen were verbally fighting with fans badmouthing their work. Any distraction can throw off a fighter's game. Those in da know know this. This is why smart team call security immediately to tell fanfaronades to shut da fudge up or leave da area. Back in da day, Team GOAT Ali use buy up a lot tickets around ringside, so those "black Muslims" could intimidate all loudmouth provokers and chaos strokers. I'm just schooling those in cyberspace who have never been to a REAL superfight, though they talk syet to convince everybodeee and dey mommas dat they are in da know and are da REAL DEAL. Holla!

ali says:

Shane is as skillful as Pac (maybe a little better) the problem is he doesn't have the stamina that Pac have and that will be the difference in the fight. Pac fans styles make fights so don't think if Pac is more impressive then Mayweather that means he can beat him cause it doesn't.

brownsugar says:

@ ali,... age will be the difference here... Roach waited 2 years (approximately) before they even gave Mosely a chance... Hey... when are you gonna put your picture up?...We Know Radam G can't expose himself because of CIA interference,.. but you might be one of my long lost cousins.

Radam G says:

Wow! I'm glad to have known GOAT Ali! To all other Alis, Da Manny will kayo Money May quicker than he's going to whup the Sugarman's butt, but we may not ever know for sure, because Lil' Floyd has the cowardly lion syndrome mixed with the Sugar Ray Robinson syndrome of beating women and duckin' contenders with a heartbeat,who were heavy on the dark skin hue. [Deal with it.] I'm reminded of this 33-year-old female who believes that she can put a hex on everybody and use witchcraft against them. The dame is looney, looney! I'm also reminded of how her 60-year-old father believes that he has a fairy-god mother. When cannot handle the truth, holla at the eternal mythic b*******! Holla!

Radam G says:

Just so you will know, ali, Team Pac will not let Sugar Shane enter the ring with all that Gerry Curls hair chemicals in his bush. See there are so many tricks of the trade that fanfaronades will never catch or know. Lil' Floyd almost got his arse kayo when he got blinded from that jive. On the Sugarman, all the bees are coming out of the hive. Lil' Floyd and 50 cent will be like two scary ******* watching Rick Ross get down with the rap and Da Manny get down with__.

ali says:

@Brownsugar....I will put up a picture sometime in May...Roach is smart guy he wanted no parts of Mosley after seeing what he did to Margacheato.....Now 2 years later he's willing to fight Mosley after seeing him get beat up by Mayweater and seeing him struggle against Mora.....Wow he's really going to prove a point by beating Mosley ....Matter of fact he didn't what to fight Margacheato at 147 after seeing him beat up on Cotto he said he was too big but he wasn't a couple years later at 150....This sh#t is funny as hell to me

ali says:

@Radam ....Key word was almost got his ass knockout....Pac has been knockout ...Almost don't mean sh*t...Mosley ain't the first guy to rock Mayweather but what happen at the end of the day Mayweather came away with win and that's all that matters period.

And on a much more joyous and triumphant note, the era of Bin Laden is over. Payback baby, however small, feels good right now.

Radam G says:

Money May is still a coward of climbing in that squared jungle with many pugilists, so he won't ever be kayoed, but by the justice system. Dude oughta quit whuppin' his babies' momma. What a MAN! He's my boy, though! Hehehehehe! So Money May woulda fought Da Manny if he "woulda taken the steroid test" doesn't count. Steroids improving fighters are are a fantasy. It takes skills to bypass da valleys and da hills and get up on da mountain tops and give the fans everlasting thrills. [DaveB, sorry! I already told you that I was going to borrow your spit.]

Besides -- @Ali -- some people cannot ever grow out of their babyhood thinking. Let a man like Money May knock out a full-grown man like Da Manny. Cowards have always hid behind myths and sh**talk and lie about how much money that they make and made. Rick "The Boss" Ross and Da Manny have punked 50 cent and Money-taxed May. Short-on-Money May steps up, and Da Manny kayos him EARLY, and the whole Mayweather fam and criminalpals know this. They live in b*tchville and luv to fake, but life is like a rattlesnake. The Mayweather clan and fanfaronades don't like that rattling sound and know to stay away from reality and to keep that counterfeit cake. Time to move on. Holla!

Radam G says:

By the way, a prime Sugar Shane woulda kayoed Money May last May 1. Money May is my boy, and if he fights da Manny, I will have sadness and joy. Because Da Manny is so uncanny, and would kayo Money May in two or three rounds. Holla!

brownsugar says:

Radam G... I can agree that a prime Sugar Shane woulda' finished Floyd last May,.. But I also believe that a prime Mayweather wouldv'e beaten a prime Mosley 10 or 12 years ago,.. ....when Mayweather was 130 and Shane was starching every lightweight on the planet at 135lbs..In his early years,... the newly minted super featherweight called out Mosely, and the Golden Boy Del La Hoya who was a junior welter,.. even Kostya Tzu got the call but nobody would go anywhere near him...he fought in unknown venues in states like Idaho,.. and in the midwest until his signature win of Corrales put him on the map.. Mayweather peaked early and has had a very gradual decline,.. but even in decline and inactivity he still makes most good fighters look bad.... Pac on the other hand is thriving at is peak,.. and doesn't show any sign of slowing down before May 7th... unless he forgot how to do his in-and-out attack, he should wear Mosely down by mid rounds,.. unless he runs into something... but like you say,... boxing can sometimes be the theatre of the unexpected. I'm not expecting an upset... but somebody wins the lottery every day.

ali says:

@Radram & Brownsugar.....Back when Mosley was in his prime Mayweather was about 24,25 on his toes and basically impossible to hit with a clean shot....I do think it would have been little closer fight instead of 10-2 ....It would have been somethen like 8-4rounds cause at the end of the day Mayweather still has better timing boxing IQ and stamina then Mosley...

FighterforJC says:

Here we go. The would'ves and could'ves, Mayweather fans' forte.

admin says:

CIA interference?? Was Radam in The Company?

@ ali,... age will be the difference here... Roach waited 2 years (approximately) before they even gave Mosely a chance... Hey... when are you gonna put your picture up?...We Know Radam G can't expose himself because of CIA interference,.. but you might be one of my long lost cousins.